The Darker side of Iridesence
by Adaliah
Summary: Luna meets Myrtle and they become close friends, but what will happen when they disagre on something and decide to each test their theory, what if things don't go the way they are supposed to? Bad summary, but this is my first ever fic so please bare with
1. ch1 and 2

Title: The Darker Side of Iridescence  
  
Disclaimer:  
What you recognize isn't mine  
  
A/N – Sorry if there is a little out of character business here, I needed something to work off that was different from anything else out there. Oh ya, and anything in Italics are thoughts. Well, enjoy...  
  
Chapter 1-  
  
It was snowing gently at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Snow was just lightly frosting everything it touched, spreading a white blanket over the roofs and grounds of Hogwarts. The lake had a frozen sheet over it, with a sprinkling of powder along the top. A slight wind blew, moving around the newest layer of snow, bringing it even into the densely covered forest.  
It may have been cold outside, but inside it was comfortably warm. Fires were burning merrily in all the common room hearths and decorations were strung up from every corner of the castle, giving the surroundings a bright, warm, festive look. It was the day before the start of the Christmas holiday, and the excitement in the air was infectious throughout the castle, with the Ravenclaw common room as no exception. Students were sprawled about on chairs, on the floor, reading, playing wizard chess and Exploding Snap, talking to friends about holiday plans, or just relaxing.  
There was one person not taking part in the apparent cheer and good- natured merriment of the students. It was Luna Lovegood. She was curled up in a ball on a windowsill, staring blankly outside.  
This is just like Christmas, except for one thing; I am not going back home. Ever. Since Father died in September, my legal guardian has been my Aunt Kaia. She's my mother's sister and she hates me. Ever since Celeste, my mother, died, she has. I think she blames my father and I for my mother's death. Kaia treats me just like most everyone does here. So does it make a difference whether I stay or go? Of course not. Everyone here says I am weird, but I don't care. Though, it would be nice to have a friend, someone who will hunt for different things with me, and wouldn't squeal when they see a–  
Luna's thoughts were rudely cut off by a sharp jab in the back, a mumbled "Opps," and a bunch of laughter.  
Silly girls, Luna thought, never looking where they are going.  
With that, she went back to thinking of fond memories of her father and what little she could recall of her mother. After being interrupted twice more, Luna finally got fed up. About to teach the last annoyances a lesson, she suddenly remembered her mother's favorite saying, "Wit beyond measure is a man's greatest treasure, but follow your family's history, know when to keep a cool head and always give off an aura of mystery."  
Sighing to herself, she realized that it was easier said than done, following the last bit about keeping a cool head. Luna decided that the only way that she could do this, was to escape from all her peers, all the other happy students, packing and discussing vacation plans.  
Luna knew that her passage would be followed by jeers, but this was the first time she really took notice. Some of my open-mindedness must have left with my father, Luna mused to herself, I never really cared, not until now. Until my father passed away and left me with no one. Where can I go, to get away from it all? I mean, there is really nowhere I want to go. The lake brings back memories of hunting for Kappa with Father; the forest is the same way, looking for things such as Quintapeds and Crups with him in the forests of Southwest England and southernmost Scotland. Inside, I just can't concentrate and I feel to enclosed. Everything used to make sense when Father explained it, but now...  
While Luna was thinking these thoughts, her feet started taking her up various staircases and through assorted passageways. Suddenly, she tripped over a trick stair. Looking up, she thought, Damn, I think I'm lost. Sitting down on the cold floor, with her back against the wall, Luna started reading an article from The Quibbler about Demiguise. Her father had gone to the Far East and had actually caught a Demiguise. Mr. Lovegood was well known for his ability to observe many rare, dangerous and magical creatures.  
The Demiguise is a very peaceful and beautiful beast with an ape-like  
appearance but with doe eyes and lots of silky hair. I found one not  
two months ago roaming the forest. I captured it but had let it go,  
its outstanding beauty did not warrant a life in captivity. I believe  
from my brief visit with their race I can determine that they are  
indeed directly related to...  
Tears obscured Luna's eyes, and a tear fell on the article. Why, why did you have to go Father. She thought fiercely to herself, why did you leave me, we had so much more to do, so many animals to find. She cried silently, sobs racking her thin frame, her long dirty blond hair half obscuring her face. Her eyes for once lost that permanently surprised look she always had.  
You weren't supposed to leave yet, not now, not ever. You were my lifeline, my hope, I could face everything because you were there, yes, I could even face mothers memories and the kids here at school and having kids scoff at any new ideas that aren't their own, but you're gone now, and never coming back. But why, why did you leave me like this? Its not like you father, you were always there for me, even when Mother died. You put your own grief aside and put me first. You helped me be able to face everyone, put on a face of dottiness, to exclude an aura of weirdness, I could take the stares and comments when you were here, I could take them, I didn't care, knowing you would be there for me, knowing we had a next adventure together coming, knowing that you would have something fun to do, some interesting animal to find next and that I could come help you. But now you are gone, and I can't take them anymore. I know if you were here you would tell me to put on a brave face, and that I could take it, but your not here, and I don't know what to do. For the first time in my life, I have no answer, no plan, no one to turn to.  
Luna was so distraught at the memories of her father that she just shook for a minute, releasing all the tears and pain she had been holding the entire time, letting down the face that she used in front of the crowds, letting go of her extreme open-mindedness in her grief. She hoped that this would help her fill the never-ending void in her heart, the void where her father and mother should be. But it didn't help, not that much.  
Luna eventually cried herself to sleep in that dark corner of Hogwarts, alone and unwanted, no one realizing she was not in her dorm, no one realizing the trauma she had gone through. And, she though, for once in her life a non-open thought and no one caring.  
  
A/N – Hope you like it! It's my first ever story! Please review and give me advice, I would really appreciate it! ^_^ I just wanted to give a HUGE cheer to my BFBG (Best Friend Beta Girl)! Thank you so much, couldn't have done it without you (I also wouldn't have posted if you had not convinced me to.) =D Oh ya, and if you are wondering about the title... you will just have to read on because it doesn't get explained until much, much later.  
  
Ch. 2 –  
  
Luna awoke to a cold side, a numb arm and leg, and very red eyes and stuffed up nose. She felt a little better, a little more normal, but the void had not been filled, no, not even started. The wound was still open a gapping, gushing fresh blood and trying to swallow everything in site. But she no longer had any tears, and felt only a little worse for wear after her night on the stone floor with just her robe on.  
"Man I need to go", she said to herself. She was startled by the sound of her voice, cracked and sharp, scratchy because of her lack of water since yesterday's lunch. I wonder where the nearest bathroom is, she wondered.  
Hmm, she mused. Where am I? The place looked no more familiar in the early morning light than it had in the dark last night. Well, I guess I will just go back to wandering around, I just hope I find a bathroom. Soon. She got up, brushed herself off and headed off to the passageway to her right.  
She wandered around for ten minuets before she realized where she was. Oh! She thought to herself. I am on the second floor, near Myrtles bathroom! She quickened her step, her bladder over-ridding everything she had learned about Myrtle. She herself had never been in Myrtles bathroom, but she had heard plenty of stories. I bet she isn't as bad as she's made out to be, I mean, I am made out horrible and look at me! She laughed inwardly at that last thought and the one that bubbled up next. I bet she is even nice! I mean, everyone who says bad stuff about her just makes fun of her. By that time she had reached the door to the bathroom and bolted into the first stall she came to.  
  
"Wh-whos there?" A wailing voice floated over to Luna, "Another student come to tease poor Myrtle, to laugh and throw things at me?" And at that the voice burst into tears.  
  
"No Myrtle, I just want to use the restroom," Luna said, her voice coming back to normal. She walked out of the stall and went to wash her hands. "I didn't mean to disturb you."  
  
"Oooh, so that's how it is. You just want to ignore Myrtle, it doesn't matter that she's crying. Noooo, you don't care"  
  
"No Myrtle, I didn't hear you crying, you weren't when I walked in here," Luna stated absently to the wall three feet to the left of Myrtle's current position.  
  
"Well then, you didn't come to visit me," Myrtle sniffed "No one ever comes to visit me, no one cares! Not even my family, no, not even them! After two weeks they stopped coming. They said I was depressed. Well who wouldn't be, I'd dead! My own family doesn't care, they..." she was cut of by an absentminded,  
"At least you have a family. I don't have one anymore," from Luna, who was still staring off into space a couple feet to the left of Myrtle.  
  
"Wait a minute" Myrtle said suspiciously. "Then why aren't you crying? Everyone else comes and cries. I laugh at them; they think I should feel bad. But I don't care, I cry all the time and no one feels bad for me.  
  
"I feel bad for you, I cried last night, it hurt. I am sorry." Luna said (still staring off into space)  
  
"Then why have you never come to visit me" Sneered Myrtle maliciously  
  
"Because I didn't know you were crying," Luna said, for once looking directly at Myrtle "Why do you cry so much?" Luna said, once again looking away from Myrtle.  
  
Myrtle promptly burst into tears. "Be-be-because I'M DEAD" she managed to wail out  
  
" What's it like" Luna asked, oblivious to the distraught-ness of Myrtle "Being dead that is? I would think it would be cool to be dead. You could roam around, be with your family," Luna was asking these questions while staring vaguely off into space  
  
"Wh-what?" Myrtle stammered, looking up from her tears "what are you talking about, of course it is horrible to be dead" she said impetuously.  
  
"I wouldn't think so, I mean, can't you go places and see things we can't? Can't you walk through walls, and do all sorts of other crazy stuff?" Luna's eyes had lit up with the fire of passion burning in their depths. She was no longer seemingly out of it, but intensely focus and interested on her topic.  
  
"Well, I dunno" Myrtle said, "I never really thought about it that way..."  
  
"Well, now that you have, I bet you have seen many things being a ghost. Hey, wasn't there a rumor that you could go to the lake?"  
  
Myrtles eyes started to water again "Only if I get flushed down the toilet"  
Myrtle was on the verge of bursting out wailing when Luna interrupted "WOW, I wish I could do that. Then I could study all the things down there and write articles about them and tell my dad. And since I was dead, he would be there to and we could do this together." Luna sighed.  
Suddenly her eyes lit up, almost seeming to glow, going from a mushy brownish red to a golden copper color. "Hey Myrtle" she whispered excitedly, sincerity shinning through every movement of her body. "Can you tell me what lives in the lake?"  
  
Myrtle looked taken aback at first, trying to see if Luna was making fun of her. But hen she realized Myrtle was totally sincere and that just rocked her reality. "Are-are you sure?" she asked timidly. No one had every asked this before and actually meant it!  
  
"Completely! I've always wanted to know what lives there but never been able to find out first hand!" Luna said, unaware of Myrtles realization, "Can you tell me all about everything that lives there." After a moments pause "Please?"  
  
"Ok" Myrtle said happily, no one ever wanted to listen to her, but now that she had a captured audience she loved it! "I'll start with the giant squid. He, and it is a he, is about....  
  
A/N – hope everyone is a bit more in character! Please read and review! 


	2. Ch 3

Ch. 3 –  
  
A/N – I would like to give a HUGE piece of Chocolate Fudge with a side of German Chocolate cake to MyOwnLittleWorld!!! She was my very first reviewer... koodos to you!!!  
  
A/N #2 – This is NOT a Myrtle Luna slash! I repeat, IS NOT!  
  
"Ms. Lovegood....Ms. Lovegood.....MS. LOVEGOOD!!"  
  
"What?" she gasped, suddenly coming out her slight other-world. The class snickered as she looked around and her eyes widened in realization that she was in potions class.  
  
"Well, since Ms. Lovegood here seems to be out of it" More snickering. "10 points from Ravenclaw and a detention." As the class stared, some wincing in sympathy, though not many, Snape burst out "Back to work!" and glided back over to his desk in a dramatic fashion.  
  
After that Luna tried to pay attention to class, but her mind kept wandering to the interesting conversations she would have with Myrtle, and the debates about being dead vs. alive. I wonder what Myrtle's doing right now? She thought  
  
Luna had been meeting Myrtle every night since she had first broken down after her father's death. They had talked about many things in the past four weeks, from animals they had both seen to debates whether being alive or dead was better. They had not learned much about each other, in fact, except for what she had said the first night, for Luna had not said anything personal to Myrtle, and Myrtle had followed suite. I wonder if I could sneak out and talk to Myrtle again tonight? Luna thought absently while stirring a potion. Christmas break had ended, and Luna had to sneak out of the dormitories to talk to Myrtle because of the number of students and the number of times she had been caught coming back to late. Luna and Myrtle had become good friends, revealing little about themselves, but talking pleasure in each other's company and what the other could teach them. Myrtle had turned out to be a very smart and nice girl, and Luna could learn a lot from her about the most random things (the things she likes best!). Myrtle rarely cried anymore, only when something was thrown at her, and Luna's openmindedness had made them fast friends as well as good ones.  
  
"Class dismissed" Snape was saying in the background of her thinking. As she gathered her books to go, Snape stopped her and sneered cruelly, "Your detention will be cleaning the girls bathrooms on the second floor, the ones with the awful wailing girl in them." Before Luna could protest that Myrtle was truly a nice person Snape had left. Oh well, at least I will have someone to talk to during my detention. Hey, this won't be bad at all, I can just clean it up with my wand and have an excuse to be there talking to Myrtle! With that thought, she dreamily walked out of the dungeons and towards her common room, totally forgetting to go to lunch.  
  
*** Later at the detention ***  
  
"It's all HOW you die, that's the key. It's not whether your dead or not that really makes weather or not it would be best, it's what you have to go through to BE dead"  
  
Luna had cleaned the bathrooms with a wave of her wand and was now having another conversation with Myrtle about death. "Hey Myrtle, you're dead right?" Luna said, as if just realizing it. "Was it worth it? I mean, how you died?" there was a slight silence "How did you die, Myrtle?" The weight of the silence had increased, it was now so think you could use it as a winter coat.  
  
"well, " Myrtle began slowly.  
  
This was the first time Luna had asked anything personal, and this memory was definitely personal. Did she want to tell Luna, I mean, they were friends, but was this really a good idea? Well, she thought after a moment of silent contemplation, what harm could it do?  
  
"It all began with Olive Hornby. She was teasing me about my glasses again and I had run up to the bathroom to cry. A little while later a heard a funny voice coming form somewhere outside the stall by definitely in the bathroom. It was obviously a guy speaking, so I opened the door to the stall to tell him to get out but when I did I saw a pair of large, glowing amber eyes... and then I died. Just sort of floated away."  
  
"Why did you come back then?" Luna asked dreamily, very intent on the story she was being told.  
  
"I wanted to haunt Hornby, make her regret ever teasing me!" Myrtle said this so venomously that Luna had to laugh.  
  
Myrtle had been expecting a number of reactions, ranging from sympathy to hatred, but this was not one of them.  
  
"I wish I could do that. You know, be able to walk through walls and be able to haunt people! It would be SO cool" Luna was laughing hysterically now. "I didn't know you liked to prank people?" Myrtle said, a bit of happiness creeping into her voice from Luna's infectious laughter.  
  
"Yeah, I do. But I stopped when my dad said it was a waste of time." Luna has sobered at the thought of her father, but the grief she felt now was not much comparative to the grief she had felt before.  
  
Myrtle noticed the change, but also noticed the Luna was coping with the grief. Did I do that? She thought to herself. She decided to try a question.  
  
"So Luna, I answered a question about my past, it's your turn. What was your dad like?"  
  
Luna didn't break into tears, or even flinch at the question of her dad. "He was fun. He was very open, and taught me to be receptive to everything. He was the editor of The Quibbler and he was my role model. I look exactly like him, except I am a girl, and we are said to have the same sort of personality," Luna looked thoughtful, then continued, "He used to take me hunting, or rather, looking. We would spend months at a time looking for a rare creature, hardly ever finding it. We would look for it to prove it really did exist. But, most of the time when we found it, we thought it was too beautiful to keep in captivity and let it go. But it was enough for us. We knew they existed, even if everyone else didn't." Luna sat quietly for a while after that, hugging her knees to her chest, thinking.  
  
About three minutes later, when neither of them had spoken, she continued. "He and my Mother, Meg, were said to have a lot in common. Both adventurous and kind to all. Neither caring about what other people thought as long as in their heart they knew it was right."  
  
By this point Luna seemed to be caught in a trance, remembering everything she could. "I don't really know exactly what she looked like. I never see pictures of her because my father burned them all when she died. All but one, which he kept on himself and never let me see. All I remember is a sweep of blond hair, and the smell of a new spring breeze, full of adventure waiting to come, and happiness to be had. I remember amethyst eyes, and a kind voice that instructed me of worldly ways." Luna sighed. "I was there when she died. When her experiment blew up and she died. I was nine, didn't really know what to do, just wasn't sure. Now I wish I had paid more attention to her. Don't get me wrong, I loved her dearly, but I always thought she would be there, never thought she would leave. I was open-minded and sensible, even at that age, but the possibility of her dying never crossed my mind." Luna sighed again, a sigh that weighed heavy in the air, and was full of sorrow and loss.  
  
Luna had lost all that strangeness that had marked her all the years she had lived. Her openmindedness had diminished; the rushing rivers of grief washing it away like a small leaf, leaving behind only the roots of the tree in its place. She had changed, sure she still had that quality of dottiness, her mind seeming to be somewhere else, but it now seemed otherworldly, not strange and abnormal. Neither girls noticed this change though, and at that moment Luna noticed how late it was getting. "Well Myrtle, thank you so much for letting me tell you this. It really helps you know. I haven't talked to anyone about my mother in years. But it's late, and I have to get back to the dorm. Can I come back tomorrow? I told you all my bout my parents, you need to tell me something about yours."  
  
"Alright" Myrtle said softly to Luna "Come anytime"  
  
Neither Myrtle nor Luna noticed the significant changes in them both after this conversation, nor the changes that were to come in the conversations that would follow.  
  
A/N – sorry for them being a bit out of character, I need a little work. 


	3. ch 4

A/N – Sorry it took so long to post (ducks flying tomatoes thrown by Jen) well, here it is… sorry it's so short, the next chappie should be coming soon.

Disclaimer – Lets see a show of hands…. If you think I came up this fabulous idea raise your hand……… I see no one has their hand raised….. Well, you're right, I didn't come up with it….J.K. Rowling did!!!!

It was late Sunday night, all the students had gone to bed hours ago and the Prefects were becoming lazy in their nightly rounds because of fatigue. Luna easily crept by them with none the wiser and entered Myrtle's bathroom expecting to have another friendly conversation with Myrtle, but instead, she found a very distraught Myrtle attempting to tear up the bathroom and crying all the harder when her hands went right through what she was trying to pick up.

Luna quickly ran over to her and attempted to comfort her. " Myrtle, Myrtle, what's wrong?" She yelled over Myrtles wails of despair.

Myrtle wailed on, not noticing Luna's presence.

"Myrtle!" Luna practically shouted at her, trying to get her attention.

"GO AWAY" Myrtle shouted, not looking to see who it was

"Myrtle, it's me, Luna"

"oh" Myrtle stopped crying and looked up from her hands.

"What's wrong Myrtle?" Luna asked patiently

"well, this first year girl comes in and when she sees me she says 'oh look, its Myrtle. Hey moaning Myrtle, moaning maoping Myrtle, guess what…. I'm alive! See' she swiped her had into a sink, hitting it with a clang,and then started laughing even harder at me. Then she said 'hey Myrtle, bet you can't do this' and picks up her bag and walk's off." Myrtle then bursts out into tears once again and yells "I HATE BEING DEAD! I WISH I WAS ALIVE. It would be so much better if I were alive. Being alive is so much better than being dead." With that she crossed her arms and started to sulk.

"Oh Myrtle" Luna said, shaking her head "Being dead is just as good as being alive."

"NO IT'S NOT!" Myrtle half shouted half sobbed back "it is so much better to be alive."

"Why?" asked Luna "I think it would be better to be dead. So, explain your reasoning. Hehe, my dad and I used to do this a lot. We would have different opinions then we would have a formalized debate. It's lot of fun!" Luna ranted on, temporarily forgetting Myrtle's crisis. "Let's try it! Ok Myrtle, you go first. Tell me why it is better being alive than dead." And at that Luna sat down on the edge of a wet toilet bowl and made every appearance she was listening, which she was.

"Well," Luna started, surprised at the easy solution which didn't begin with a shouting match. "Its Much better being alive because you can touch things, feel things. You can breath, eat, have definite emotions" after that she quickly warmed up to her topic. "When you are dead you can't do all those things. You don't have the experiences with your friends, you have no one and nothing. You can't own anything, and if you could, you wouldn't be able to enjoy it because you can't feel it! You just are, floating forever in mist. You try to escape but you are surrounded. When you are alive you have options, choices. You have power, you have life" with that she ended, looking wistfully off into space, almost forgetting Luna was still there.

Luna let her lose herself in thought for a moment before starting her counter argument.

"Well, I think it would be cool to be dead, get to float through walls, visit other dead people. You could also see all sorts of things you couldn't if you were alive!" Luna was talking fast, a sure sign that she was oblivious to the fact Myrtle was staring at her with an expression that screamed 'SO WHAT'.

"You could travel around, go into locked places, prove people wrong… you could play pranks on people, you could get an answer to any question, you could spend your days doing anything you want to do, not going to classes." Luna was about to continue when Myrtle started crying exasperatedly. "what now?" Luna said, a little annoyed that she had been interrupted but at the same time sad because she had made Myrtle cry again.

"I've Done those things already, I am board of those things, I want to be alive again!"

After that there was no consoling Myrtle, she just wouldn't listen. Luna stayed for half an hour before deciding to leave, realizing there was nothing left she could do. "bye Myrtle" she said, even though she knew Myrtle wouldn't hear.

Luna easily made her way back to her dorm room and into her bed without waking anyone. 'Well' she thought to herself, 'if I can sneak up on a sleeping Fire Crab I can definitely get back to my dorm without waking up a bunch of girls'

Luna was about to get into her bed when she realized she was wide-awake. Awake enough that she knew she would definitely not get to sleep any time soon so as she looked around for something to do that wouldn't wake anyone, she spotted the light pouring in from the window three beds away. "ahhhhhh" she mused to herself, "the moon" she quickly crept over to the window and agilely (more so than any would have thought her possible) slinked onto the roof. She moved a little ways from the window before settling herself on a ledge somewhat close to the edge. It was there she spent her night, thinking about what she had said to Myrtle and what Myrtle had said to her.

"Hmmmm, she though" right before she drifted off to sleep "I wonder what Myrtle thinks of the moon?"

A/N – please review…. I need to know what I am doing wrong, and I'm sure there's lots of stuff.


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